Coaches aren't all bad...

[LMSANS]

I was working a travel game, 13-14 yo over the weekend. I was solo on an unlined field with no left field foul pole and the old strap bases that moved at least a base width in each direction.

Both coaches were very clear on the challenges and gave me no trouble at all during the game. They asked questions respectfully.

Now for the best part...I called out a short player on a low strike and he stormed off the field. As I'm standing on the 3B line waiting to move on I hear some yelling behind me. I didn't turn but heard the coach tell the kid that he was out of the game and off the team. If his parents were there he would have sent him home. Evidently the kid chose to use some expletives directed at the coach. This league allows for all players to bat. The coach went to the other team and said he will be taking an out for the # 10 slot in his lineup.

I wasn't clear on the league rule on this, but since this was the best case of discipline I had seen on a ball field in a while, I was letting it happen. I went to shake the coaches hand and he told me that the parents were friends before the game but probably wouldn't be after they got home.

[mstaylor]

I was watching a LL Majors game a few years ago, the manager pulled the pitcher and put him in centerfield. The boy had quite an attitude about being pulled and sat down in center. The manager told him to get in a playing position, which he refused to do. He came to the pressbox and said he would be removing the player which put him at eight. He said he didn't care and took the lose.

[blindumpire99]

I was doing a varsity plate years ago and on the second pitch of the game, as I was dropping into my GD stance, somehow, my belt on my pants broke completely in two. Just 'boom!':shrug:

TRYING to ignore the guffaws in the stands behind me, I silently cursed myself for not inspecting it before the game (and for still being too well endowed, uhh along the waistline) even though I had dropped a few pounds..

Well the old coach of one of the teams saw the predicament of me having to repeatedly pull my pants back up and asked for time. He came out to me and asked me if he could give me a belt to wear.

He led me over to his dugout where he had just one sub sitting on the bench. He told his player to strip his belt off his uniform and give it to me. I tried to protest and asked the coach what he (the player) would do if he was subbed in. The coach told me to no never mind it, that I needed it worse than his player did and if he subbed him in later, he would just have the relieved player trade HIS belt to the sub.

The player himself readily stripped it off and told the coach to just never mind about him playing that day that he was just glad to help out.

So I reluctantly finished the game with a maroon baseball belt holding up my heather grays.

And wouldn't you know my luck? The borrowed belt's team (Team A) was playing the current #1 ranked team in the state and quickly jumped out and took command of the game from the word 'go'. Team #1 couldn't buy a base hit, buy an out hardly, couldn't throw a strike--and you guessed exactly just "who" the fans of team#1 began riding --and why.

"Oh yeah he's even wearing their colors!' ect was an example of some of the crap that I heard. But team #1 eventaully started playing ball and pulled it out in the bottom of the 7th but I heard plenty about my special belt color.

I thanked the coach and the player as discretely as I could for their offer and for their sportsmanship. I found a newfound respect for this veteran coach and never lost it.

[willv28]

I was watching a LL Majors game a few years ago, the manager pulled the pitcher and put him in centerfield. The boy had quite an attitude about being pulled and sat down in center. The manager told him to get in a playing position, which he refused to do. He came to the pressbox and said he would be removing the player which put him at eight. He said he didn't care and took the lose.

Most coaches wouldn't put up with that. It reflects badly on THEM. Some of those very same coaches wouldn't mind the player showing the umpire or anyone else up. But when they show THEM up, it's over. Luckily I've only seen less than 5 coaches who would likely be like that.

[willv28]

blindump, quit talking about players stripping things off....